Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture

Simon Reynolds Generation Ecstasy:

Generation Ecstasy, originally published in 1999, is the complete story of one of the most electrifying cultural currents in recent decades—techno and rave. Written by Simon Reynolds, the author provides their perspective as a UK music journalist and dedicated participant who has been feeling the pulse of the movement from the beginning. Emerging right at the moment of transition, as rock and punk were fusing with dance music, Reynolds witnessed the birth of a major shift in both the production and consumption of music: as the focus moved from the album, the musician, and the concept to the 12-inch, the DJ, and pure kinetic energy.

The book documents this whole development, from the early emergence of Chicago house, Detroit techno, and New York garage in the US to its spread across the Atlantic to Madchester, acid house, and UK rave, and beyond. Reynolds examines the interplay between drugs like ecstasy and the rave, offering a view that's both heartfelt and critical of everything going on across the scenes. He then follows the aftermath of the early-90s raves, documenting the rise of new and disparate styles—from insanely high-speed gabber and happy hardcore to the pre-millennial gloom of trip-hop and the experimental fringe beyond. For anyone interested in the history of rave culture, this book has it all—the good, the bad, and the un-freaking-believable.

Generation Ecstasy: Features

• The first critical history of techno and rave, written by an insider who lived the culture from the inside out
• Traces the music from its US origins—Chicago house, Detroit techno, New York garage—across the Atlantic to acid house, Madchester, and UK rave, then onward through jungle, gabber, happy hardcore, trance, and trip-hop
• Blends first-hand reminiscence with interviews and vivid musical description, examining the inseparable link between rave and Ecstasy
• Interviews with Derrick May, Goldie, Aphex Twin, Paul Oakenfold, 808 State, Orbital, The Prodigy, Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, Richie Hawtin, DJ Shadow, Tricky, and many more